Thirteen reasons why I still love Hanson’s debut album
Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a massively unapologetic fan of Hanson.
This band has followed me all the way from childhood through early adulthood and remains in heavy rotation in my music library.
Just as I turn 25 this year, so does Hanson. While the band didn’t break into mega-fame until 1997, Isaac, Taylor, and Zac formed as an acapella trio in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1992, drawing influence from other familial bands like the Beach Boys, the Bee Gees, and the Jackson Five.
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Upon discovering Hanson (thanks to a prophetic HMV employee who recommended it to my mom), I thought there could be no one cooler than the youngest brother, Zac, who was closest to my age and played the drums. Despite my skinny little arms and lack of musical ability, I had to learn to play too.
One of the first songs I learned to play on the drums was Hanson’s “Lucy” off their debut studio release, Middle of Nowhere. Although 8-year-old girl drummers were not very common at the time, this was a skill that I would pursue throughout high school and has largely defined the person I am today.While the band is celebrating 25 years of making music together, 2017 also marks the 20th anniversary of Middle of Nowhere, the album that shot the three brothers to teen idol status faster than you could say “MMMBop.”
The band’s unfortunate and inaccurate label of ’90s “boy band” has discouraged many critics from taking this album seriously, but at a closer listen, Middle of Nowhere becomes a little more complex both musically and lyrically.
1. “Thinking Of You”
“Have you ever stood outside a picket fence you could see through, but you can’t get to the inside?”That’s a pretty deep and philosophical way to start a pop album, never mind one written mostly by kids under the age of 17. Nonetheless, “Thinking of You” sets the tone of the rest of the album. It is essentially a love song, sure, but it also infers forbidden pleasures and unforeseeable challenges, all through the use of metaphor.
2. “MMMBop”
While it is the one Hanson song that everyone knows, there are few who have actually taken the effort to listen to the lyrics of “MMMBop.” Perhaps it is the super poppy and bubbly arrangement, but, lyrically, “MMMBop” is not a happy song.
“You have so many relationships in this life, only one or two will last. You go through all the pain and strife, then you turn your back and they’re gone so fast,” sings Taylor in his signature expressive style.
This was one of the songs that the brothers wrote prior to signing with their record label at the time. Original recordings of this song were later released, demonstrating a slower, more introspective tone. While the overproduced studio version everyone knows sounds like a happy-go-lucky summer anthem, Hanson wrote the song about accepting the harsh fleeting nature of friendships and relationships. The phrase, “MMMBop,” in this context, is a brief measurement of time.
3. “Weird”
Bringing in the minor key, “Weird” challenges the ideas of conformity and homogeneity in a simple (some might argue juvenile), yet relatable way: “No one can hear, but you’re screaming so loud. You feel like you’re all alone in the faceless crowd.”
4. “Speechless”
“Speechless” follows up with a slightly angsty breakup song about infidelity. The funk-inspired backbeat and sassy horn section is offset with a 14-year-old singing, “I get suspicious when you call me someone else’s name,” and asking somewhat rhetorically, “Did you ever love me or were you showing me the door?”
5. “Where’s The Love”
While the second single from Middle of Nowhere, “Where’s The Love,” also sounds a bit unsophisticated and naïve at first listen, it too unveils layers of context that could not be more relevant today. In this song, Hanson recognizes that there is too much hate in this world—and maybe a hopeful catchy pop song is exactly what we need right now.
6. “Yearbook”
The album hits its darkest point with the slightly more progressive “Yearbook.” While the band has admitted that this is not one of their favourite Hanson songs, it still gives me chills to this day. There is an air of mystery in both the eerie instrumental intro and the somewhat cryptic lyrics that tell the story of a classmate’s disappearance.While this song can be interpreted in a few ways, from what I understand, Johnny’s picture doesn’t appear in the yearbook because he has taken his own life after being ignored and bullied by his classmates.
Lyrics like, “There’s a light in your silence, tell me where did Johnny go?” and “Sometimes I wonder, maybe we’re to blame,” indicate that there is something the adults aren’t telling the kids in an attempt to protect them from the painful truth. That’s some pretty heavy stuff.
7. “Look At You”
“Look At You,” though littered with overproduced disc scratching, might’ve had the potential to be a super funky, super gritty dance anthem if it was released in the ’70s instead of the mid ’90s. It also gave the band members a chance to let loose and be kids, even for just a short improvised hip-hop breakdown about a “one-eyed purple moose.”
8. “Lucy”
“Lucy” is quite possibly the cheesiest song on the album, but it also deals with themes of heartbreak, regret, and despair. I’m not sure where I heard this and I’m not sure if it was ever the intention, but I always drew a connection between this song and the Peanuts characters Schroeder and Lucy.
9. “I Will Come To You”
The third single from the album, “I Will Come to You,” is the power ballad with which every Hanson fan longs to be serenaded. The piano and cello intro leads into an earnest message of hope and devotion: “Have no fear when your tears are falling, I will hear your spirit calling, and I swear that I’ll be there, come what may.”
10. “A Minute Without You”
A personal favourite of mine, “A Minute Without You,” takes a straighter pop-rock approach and is always a blast when played live. The oldest Hanson brother, Isaac, takes the lead on this simple love song that is just so darn catchy, you can’t help but sing along for “one-thousand-four-hundred-forty hours” straight.
11. “Madeline”
While it is probably the most forgettable song on the album, if nothing else, “Madeline” has a killer bass line. The prominent groove carries the song from start to finish while the brothers effortlessly harmonize.
12. “With You In Your Dreams”
“With You In Your Dreams” demonstrates the band’s early gospel influence. Written as a heartfelt tribute to a family member, the song reminds us to remember all the good times in the face of loss. The bridge rebuilds our hope with a powerful call and response: “And though my flesh is gone, I’ll still be with you at all times. And though my body’s gone, I’ll be there to comfort you at all times.”
13. “Man From Milwaukee”
While this marks the official end of the album, buried beneath several tracks of silence, a bonus track tells the story of the “Man From Milwaukee,” who believes he is communicating with Martian life forms through his “yellow walkie-talkie.” This is where the band’s storytelling capabilities really get to let loose.
What’s really special about the songs on this album is that the band still plays them with just as much passion and sincerity as they did when Middle of Nowhere was first released. Although they have five other studio albums and a myriad of fan-exclusive material to draw from, Hanson always saves room on their set list for a handful of “the classics” 20 years later.
To celebrate this milestone, the band is releasing a greatest hits album as well as embarking on a world tour—of which many dates are already sold out. While much of the publicity surrounding this tour is rooted in innocent nostalgia, perhaps now is the time to look back, listen closely, and find a greater appreciation for one of the greatest pop albums to come out of the ’90s.
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Photos by Dana Bellamy/The Ontarion.